Now, before I go on, don't get me wrong. I don't believe it's right to "judge" in the literal meaning of the word. But I believe the power of human observation is stronger than many give it credit for. A lot of the time, the cover of a book reveals more than we normally think it would. It gives the name of the author, the publisher, maybe even a few quotes of critics.
It's the same with people. Not always, but sometimes. We see what they wear, how they act, what their movements are like. Many times this can tell a lot about a person, and it only takes a few seconds of talking to someone to learn some basic facts about that person. They're name, where they're from, and what they act/talk like. I'm not saying we can learn every intimate part of that person just by looking at them and saying hello to them, but I think we have the human ability to discern whether they are generally trust-worthy or not.
I do believe, however, this is an ability that is built up from childhood, and the strength of such ability is created depending on past experience. If one has lived in a world that some would call naive, filled with people you can trust, and you have never been betrayed, then maybe you aren't so good at judging a book by its cover, because you've only ever seen one type of cover. It's the same for the opposite: if you've been surrounded by no one but people who've betrayed you and lied to you, then you'll have a hard time having an instant bond with someone. It's those who have had both that I think have the strongest ability to judge people based on an initial reaction.
Anyways, that's my thought for today. I was thinking about it the other day, and I felt like writing a little about it, so there you go.
-Phil
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